1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door of a drum-type washing machine, and more particularly, to a door of a drum-type washing machine, which has a front member on a front surface of the door to reinforce the door, and has a decorative portion formed on the front member to enhance an aesthetic appearance of the washing machine, and a method of manufacturing a door having a decorative portion thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, washing machines are used for removing dirt and strains from clothes by virtue of a mechanical operation of the washing machines. Among the washing machines, a drum-type washing machine washes laundry by means of friction between a drum, horizontally installed in the washing machine to be rotated by a driving force of a motor, and the laundry contained together with wash water and detergent in the drum. The drum-type washing machine has advantageous effects of substantially preventing the laundry from being damaged and entangled with each other, and of washing the laundry by way of pounding and rubbing the items of the laundry with each other.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional drum-type washing machine, FIG. 2 is a section side elevation illustrating the conventional drum-type washing machine, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional drum-type washing machine comprises a cabinet 2 defining an outer appearance of the washing machine, a tub 4 suspended by means of a spring 3 inside the cabinet 2, a drum 5 installed in the tub 4 to wash laundry therein, a lifter 6 formed on an inner surface of the drum 5 to raise the laundry to a predetermined height and then to allow the laundry to fall from the predetermined height due to gravity, a motor 7 mounted at a rear side of the tub 4 to generate power, a cabinet cover 22 attached at a front surface of the cabinet 2 and having a laundry entrance 24 formed through the cover 22 to allow the laundry to be input or output therethrough, and a door 20 provided to the cabinet cover 22 to open or close the laundry entrance 24, thereby preventing the laundry from exiting from the laundry entrance 24.
Here, a gasket 8 is provided between the tub 4 and the door 20, and functions as a packing member to relieve an impact resulting from rotation of the drum 5 while preventing water from overflowing to the outside of the washing machine.
Additionally, the washing machine is provided at an upper portion thereof with a top plate 9 to form an upper surface of the washing machine, and at a lower portion thereof with a base 10 to form a bottom surface of the washing machine. A drainage pump 11 and a drainage hose 12 are provided beneath the tub 4 to both circulate and discharge wash water, respectively. A water supply hose 13, a water supply valve 14, and a detergent barrel 15 are embedded beneath the top plate 9 to feed the water and the detergent into the tub 4.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3, the door 20 of the conventional drum-type washing machine comprises a ring-shaped door frame 30 hingeably provided to the cabinet cover 22, a door hinge 40 having both ends respectively connected to the door frame 30 and the cabinet cover 22 to hingeably support the door frame 30, and a door glass 50 installed at a central hole 30a opened through the door frame 30 to allow an inner circumstance of the drum 5 to be observed therethrough.
The door frame 30 is generally formed of a plastic material by means of injection molding. The door frame 30 comprises a front door frame 32 provided at the front surface of the washing machine and having a grip 36 formed at one side of the door frame 30, and a rear door frame 34 provided at the rear side of the front door frame 32 and having one end of the door hinge 40 connected to the rear door frame 34. The rear door frame 34 has at least one hook 37 protruded at one side thereof, and the cabinet cover 22 has at least one hook hole 38 formed through the cabinet cover 22 to be coupled with the hook 37.
The door glass 50 has a peripheral edge fixed between the front door frame 32 and the rear door frame 34 to seal the central hole 30a of the door frame 30.
Meanwhile, since the design of the product has been recently regarded as an important factor in determining a commodity value of a product in addition to performance and durability of the product, it has become a trend of the drum-type washing machine industry to develop various models considerably focusing on an outer appearance, colors, a texture (that is, appearance and sensation of a surface), and the like of the product when manufacturing a new product in order to satisfy aesthetic desires of consumer.
However, the door of the conventional drum-type washing machine has the door frame 30 formed of the plastic material through the injection molding, and thus, it does not provide a luxurious sensation to the consumer in view of the outer appearance, lowering the commodity value of the product.
Also, high-capacity washing machines are a recent trend of the drum-type washing machine industry, causing the laundry entrance 24 and the door 20 to be enlarged. As a result, the door frame 30 must have a sufficient strength in order to withstand a weight of the enlarged door glass 50. However, since the door frame 30 is formed of the plastic material through the injection molding, it is difficult to secure sufficient strength of the door glass.
In order to solve the problems as described above, it has been suggested to make the door frame 30 from a metallic material which has high strength and permits implementation of a luxurious appearance. However, in this case, there are problems of increasing material costs and a total weight of the door, and of difficulty in surface finishing for enhancing the texture.